Sealing mechanism for slidable doors



April 30, 1940./ y D, C, E EQNARD 2,199,182

SEALING MECHANISM FOR SLIDABLE DOORS Filed Sept. 14, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 man mf H3 viv 21 55,13 QO/(M/ Y* April 30, 1940.. D .C E LEONARD 2,199,182

SEALING MECHANISM FOR SLIDABLEDORS I Filed Sept. 14, 1938 2 Sheet'S-Sheet 2 31 Z I agcd aELeonzI/d,

Patented Apr. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES SELING MECHANISM FOR SLIDABLE ORS David C. E. Leonard, Hagerstown, Md., assigner to Jamison Cold Storage Door Company, Hagerstown, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application September 14, 1938, Serial No. 229,961

` y l solaims.

l The invention relates generally to sliding door equipmentsand more particularly to certain new and useful improvements in supporting, guiding and sealing mechanisms -forr doors of the vertically-'slidable type employed in refrigerating and 'cold storage equipment.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide novel supporting, guiding and sealing mechanism of the character stated which includes Vertical guide ribs opposed to the lateral edges of the door, anti-friction rollers grooved to receive the guide ribs and supported at the door edges for rotation in the generally vertical plane of the door and for rocking movement about vertical axes so as to cause the door to move inwardly into sealing contact over the opening which it serves or outwardly out of such sealing contact, and means for simultaneously rocking the roller equipments at oppositel sidev edges of the door into the seal effecting or seal releasing positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for imparting the rocking movement to the roller equipments including a rock shaft for rockably mounting the rollers at each side edge of the door, a crank arm secured to each shaft, an actuator shaft rockable about a vertical axis and supported on the body of the door so as to be adaptable to 180 of movement, apair of eccentric disks having their axes of` eccentricity substantially diametrically opposed in a general plane disposed parallel that ofthe door, and atlirust rod connected to each crank arm, each said rod having a strap encircling one of the disks.

With the above and other ob-jectsin view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more fully understood by following the detailed description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanyin'g drawings.

In the drawings: Y

Figure l is a face viewvillustratingthe invention embodied in a door 4equipment of the verticallyv slidable type.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line`2-2 on Figure l.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 3-3 on Figure l.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 4-4 on Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken through one side edge portion of the door and illustrating one roller in the door sealing and seal relieving positions in full and dotted lines respectively,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 and illustrating the roller in the door seal relieving position.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary horizontal cross I i The door'is lrelatively flat and rectangular in 15 shape and maybe constructed in any suitable manner, preferably including suitable insulating material. At its upper edge and along its vertical edges, and also along its lower or floor engaging edge, the door is equipped with sealing lgasket 20 material generally designated Il. j

A verticalguide rib l2 is secured to the face of each frame boxing 5 opposed to one of the lateral edges of the door, and at the upper portionof the door the edge surfaces thereof opposed 25 to the rib l2 have secured thereto hanger brackets i3. To each bracket I3 is attached one end of a hanger cord i4, and each cord extends upwardly over an idler pulley l5 supported on the'respective frame boxing 5, and downwardly $0 withinthe boxing where it is secured to a counter-weight l5 vertically slidable within the respective boxing. While the box-like framing herein disclosed is desirable,it lis to be understood that any suitable opening-'defining framing and 35 pulley-supporting means may be employed.

At each side edge of the door opposed to the adjacent guiderib l2 is mounted a pair ofupper and lower or vertically-spaced brackets Il.` Each bracket includes upper and lower spacedl hori- 0 zontal bearing ears vI8, and a rocker rod l 9 passes through the upper horizontal ear of eachflower bracket andthrough the lower horizontal ear of each upper bracket, and each end ofy this rod extending into the bracket H is pin-secured to 45 a rocker member 20 rockably mounted between the ears of the respective bracket. Each rocker member 20 has a central opening or bearing portion 2l in which is rotatably mounted an antifriction roller 22 grooved at its periphery to 50 straddle and ride on 'the opposed guide rib VI2.

- Thus mounted, the rollers 22 are rotatable in the general plane. of the door l0, as shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings. The upper extremity of each uppermost rocker member 20 and the lower extremity of each lower rocker member 29 has a trunnion bearing as at 23 in the respective uppermost or lowermost ear I3 of the bracket Il A crank 24 is secured to each rod I9 between the upper and lower brackets il, as shown in Figures l, 6 and 7 of the drawings. It will be noted also, by reference to Figures I, 2 and 8 of the drawings, that a bearing xture 25 is secured centrally to the door l!) and includes verticallyspaced upper and lower ears 245 in which an actuator shaft 21 is mounted for rotary movement through approximately 180. the shaft 2l is non-circular and equipped with a handle 28 through which movement may be imparted to the shaft. Between the upper and lower ears 2B, the shaft 2l is equipped with a pair of eccentric disks 29 secured upon the shaft with their axes of eccentricity diametrically opposed in a plane generally parallel the plane occupied by the door i6.

Each of the disks 29 is encircled by a strap 3F! secured to the inner end of an actuator rod 3l, each said rod being pivotally and adjustably connected at its outer end with one of the crank members 24,

By rocking the shaft 21 about its axis by manipulation of the handle 28, the rods 3l can be moved simultaneously inwardly or outwardly. When the rods are moved inwardly they draw the crank members 24 inwardly and shift the rollers 22 about the engaged edge of the ribs l2 to the position illustrated in Figure 5. When the rods are moved outwardly they shift the crank y' members 24 outwardly and move the rollers to the position illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings'. The rollers being rockably mounted upon the door itself, this shifting of the plane of rotation of the rollers, or in other words the fulcruming of the rollers about the engaged edges of the ribs l2, will impart bodily movement to the door IIJ to force it into sealing contact over the opening which it serves in the manner illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings, or to remove it from such sealing contact in the manner shown in Figure 6 of the drawings.

It will be observed by reference to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 5, 6 and '7, that each rod 3| is adjustably threaded into the respective l crank member 24 as at 32 so that the positions of the crank members can be changed to compensate for gasket wear and assure proper sealing of the opening at all times.

While I have referred herein to doors of the type employed in refrigerating and cold storage equipment, it is to be understood that doors of the nature of those herein disclosed are adaptable to use as closures for any rooms or spaces wherein it is desired to maintain high, low or even temperatures by the provision of substantially airtight closures. Among such uses are 4those relating to refrigerating, heating, drying, incubation, fumigation and air conditioning.

It is to be understood that the specific struc- One end of ture and details herein described can be variously changed without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. The combination of a door and a doorway or opening to be sealed thereby, means for slidably mounting the door including longitudinal guide ribs stationarily supported adjacent the side edges of the door and grooved anti-friction rollers engaging said. ribs and rockably mounted on the door adjacent the side edges thereof and on axes disposed within the peripheral limits of said rollers and paralleling the guide ribs and rotatable in a plane generally parallel that occupied by the door, and means for altering the plane of rotation of the rollers. by rocking them about the axes on which they are rockably mounted while maintaining contact of the rollers with the ribs for forcing the door against or relieving contact of the door with said doorway.

2. I'he combination of a door and a doorway or opening to be sealed thereby, means for vertically-slidably mounting the door including frame standards, vertical guide ribs supported on the standards and opposed to the lateral edges of the door, a pair of brackets mounted in vertically spaced relation at each side of the door, a roller carrier rockable about a vertical axis on each bracket, a grooved roller mounted for rotation in the general plane of the door on each carrier and strad'dling the respective guide rib, a crank arm and rock shaft connected with the upper and lower carriers at each side of the door, and means for moving said crank arms comprising a pair of actuator rods, a shaft mounted on the door for 180 of rotation about a vertical axis, a pair of eccentric disks mounted on said shaft with their axes of eccentricity disposed diametrically opposite in the general plane of the door, each said rod having a strap encircling one said disk, and means for imparting movement to said shaft.

3. The combination of a door and a doorway or opening to be sealed thereby, said door including side edges overlying the doorway, means for mounting the door for sliding movement vertically including vertical guide ribs stationarily supported adjacent the side edges of the door, anti-friction rollers engaging said ribs, said rollers being disposed between the ribs and the side edges of the doors, means carried by the doors for rockably supporting said rollers whereby said rollers may be shifted on axes disposed within the peripheral limits of the rollers and paralleling the guide ribs, said rollers being disposed for rotation in a. plane generally paralleling that occupied by the door and means for shifting the plane of rotationv of the rollers by rocking the same about said axes while maintaining contact of the rollers with the guide ribs for forcing the door against or relieving contact of the door with said doorway.

DAVID C. E. LEONARD. 

